acoustic reality digital ice power amps

[mrx]

undefined:) anyone heard or used these power amps[they use digital ice power modules]
or similar e.g. jeff rowland

[gonefishin]

Haven't tried or heard the ICE branded modules. Your best bet may be at AudioCircle (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?page=2). I can remember a bunch of buzz about them some time back, but haven't heard much since.


good luck :)

dan

[mrx]

Haven't tried or heard the ICE branded modules. Your best bet may be at AudioCircle (http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?page=2). I can remember a bunch of buzz about them some time back, but haven't heard much since.


good luck :)

dan
gonefishin have you tried other types of digital amps? eg. tripath [class t]

[topspeed]

I use a PS Audio HCA2 and have listened extensively to both Spectron and Bel Canto switching amps. What do you want to know?

[gonefishin]

gonefishin have you tried other types of digital amps? eg. tripath [class t]




I haven't got extensive listening with any of them. I have listened to some Bel Canto with Talon's a number of times...and also some DIY tripath amps. But I haven't sat down with either of them in my system.

What are you looking for? The Bel Canto left me with the impression of having a pitch black background with good imaging but didn't seem to produce the soundstage width and depth of many SET amps.


Perhaps some people who own and live with the "digital" amps could share their experiences.


take care,
dan

[mrx]

basicaly i was going to move from a chord spm 1200c solid state power amp to a valve amp,like say a ear 509.but the digital amps sound like a nice halfway house between sloid state and valve?.im looking for musicality and neutrality.
i want to know how the digital amps compare to good valve amps. as i want more soundstage depth and timbre.but not at the expense of transparency and neutrality.

[billysam]

undefined:) anyone heard or used these power amps[they use digital ice power modules]
or similar e.g. jeff rowland
The Acoustic Reality amps are relatively new to the U.S., but are are much admired in Europe. In addition to amps, the company makes a very exotic powered speaker system using their amps. They sound uncannily natural with seemingly great reserves of power.

[topspeed]

the digital amps sound like a nice halfway house between sloid state and valve?.im looking for musicality and neutrality.
i want to know how the digital amps compare to good valve amps. as i want more soundstage depth and timbre.but not at the expense of transparency and neutrality.

A lot of people seem to think that a good switching amp provide the best of both worlds and I'm not about to disagree. From an objective point of view, their advantages are all about efficiencies:
1) Take up less space
2) Run dead cold. They don't try to mimic a space heater like every Class A (tube or ss) successfully does.
3) Consume less energy than a nightlight in stand-by mode.
4) Completely load invariant. Quad ESL? ML Odyssey? Sure! Bring it on!
5) When done right, sound marvelous.

From a subjective standpoint, I find my HCA2 to have stunning slam and depth, unmatched in my experience including big Krells, while also providing a very sweet and grain-free mid and top end that I would consider "tube-like." The highs are extended and airy (not as much as ARC or VAC, tho) and not sibilant in the least. Gonefishin is right about the black levels too. I'm not sure if this is prevalent with all digitals, but considering their inherent architecture it would seem to make sense. Soundstaging is wall to wall wide with decent but not amazing depth (the latter could be more speaker/placement relative than amp ability). I think they are great but obviously you'll simply need to audition them and see if they work within your system. Even if you end up buying the EAR or some other tube amp, at least you'll have an opinion on switching amps, right?

Have fun!

[mrx]

what car or bike is that top speed from? ,top speed [is it yourself?] on a private road of course!

[topspeed]

what car or bike is that top speed from? ,top speed [is it yourself?] on a private road of course!

That's 178mph in a C5 Corvette. Alas, it is not me. I would never try to take a picture of the speedometer at speed and rarely have a passenger when I'm pushing it.